This year we’re excited to be receiving 12 new gritters that will be on standby 24/7 over the winter months. 

We’re asking all schools across Barnsley to get their thinking caps on and come up with the best seasonal names they can. The winning entries will have the chosen name written on one of our new gritters as well as the name of the winning school. This will stay on the gritter through its lifetime.

Our new gritters will be cleaner and more sustainable as they meet the latest emissions standard. They will have additional safety features including camera mirrors helping drivers to reduce blind spots and see around the vehicle better in the dark. Our gritters also have the capability to learn the gritting routes and will optimise how much salt to put down on the roads to reduce waste.

From Monday 17 October, gritter names can be submitted using our online form. Our competition closes on Monday 7 November. After the competition closes, our judging panel will select the most creative entries. Winning schools will also receive prizes and a presentation from Schmidt, the manufacturer of our new gritters. They will also get the chance to sit in one of our new vehicles. 

Schools can choose whether they enter as a school, a class, or as individual pupils and multiple entries can be made.

Cllr James Higginbottom, Cabinet spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said: “Our 12 new gritters will help us to keep Barnsley moving this winter.

“They will be highly visible on the roads across the borough, and we want to get as many young people as possible involved by naming them.

“Good luck to all the schools who are entering the competition. I’m looking forward to seeing how creative you’ve all been.”